Jaxon Jorquera, who goes by his middle name Stone, is not a typical athlete. Jorquera trains at One EW Fitness in Altamonte six days a week for two to three hours at a time. Along with his daily training, Jorquera also competes and has won many CrossFit competitions. He was initially inspired to begin working out in order to complete a half marathon on the Great Wall of China, a goal which he accomplished after a five and a half hour long journey in May 2015.

Jorquera is a junior at Lake Brantley and has competed in local and worldwide CrossFit competitions such as the CrossFit Games Open and the Wodapalooza. To qualify for these events, athletes must practice event specific workouts for three to five weeks. Based on a person’s overall performance within the three to five weeks, the top 15 are selected to compete in the higher level competition, which will ultimately determine the fittest of the fit.

“I was able to make it and compete at Wodapalooza in 2017 and finished second overall,” Jorquera said. “I also do local events and actually won two this year. I swept first in Daytona at the Bacon Beatdown and first in the Boxtribe Games.”

Part of being a CrossFit athlete is specializing and perfecting a variety of different movements. Each movement benefits specific parts of the body, and some can be more taxing, targeting multiple body parts compared to others. For instance, muscle-ups focus on the upper body muscles and are performed on a pair of rings in which an athlete uses their momentum to pull themselves up. On the other hand, lifts such as thrusters combine the movements of a front squat and a push press in order to work the whole body.

“My favorite movements are cleans and muscle-ups,” Jorquera said. “I just love doing them because they are easy to me and fun. My least favorites are thrusters and overhead kettlebell squats. Those just knock the wind out of me.”

The reason behind Jorquera’s success lies behind his commitment and determination. He is never one to back down or give up when faced with an obstacle. He does not shy away, but instead addresses his weaknesses head on in order to be able to overcome them.

“My favorite thing about being Stone’s trainer is that I can throw whatever at him and he trusts me and the process,” One EW trainer Taylar Stallings said. “This makes him give everything he has into each session, even if it is an ‘off’ day for him. He never quits and that is what will make him successful.”

Just like everyday life, CrossFit is packed with obstacles and challenges to overcome. Tackling obstacles in CrossFit can facilitate the development of a strong and determined mind set that can be used for everyday circumstances.

“My favorite thing about training is always feeling challenged,” Jorquera said. “The idea behind CrossFit is to be functionally fit in all aspects of fitness and life so when something becomes a challenge, it’s the best feeling to overcome and see the progress towards an overall goal.”